Here are our selections for the top stock trading apps that fit this description: free trades, robust mobile trading platforms, and high user ratings are characteristics of the best stock buying apps.
The most effective stock apps today closely resemble robust desktop and online trading platforms as stock trading has become increasingly mobile-friendly. They also provide free stock trades, cheap or free options trades, and minimal or nonexistent account fees. If you want to trade stocks on your smartphone, check out our list of the top trading apps below. We’ve included recommendations for both novice and experienced stock traders, along with thorough justifications for each app’s inclusion.
Are you unsure if these will work with your device? The stock apps listed below are all compatible with Android and Apple devices.
Best Stock Trading Apps: November 2024 Expert Picks
| Broker | FinanceProsper’s rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
★ 4.3/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | 1 Free Stock after linking your bank account (value range $50-$200) |
|
★ 4.9/5 | $0 per online equity trade | $0 | No promotion available |
|
★ 5.0/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | None |
|
★ 5.0/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | Get up to 75 free fractional shares (valued up to $3,000) when you open and fund an account with Webull |
|
★ 4.4/5 | $0 per trade (fees apply). | $0 | Earn up to $1,000 by opening and funding an E*TRADE account. |
|
★ 4.2/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | Up to $1,000 in free stock for users who sign up via mobile app |
|
★ 4.6/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | Earn up to $10,000 when you transfer your investment portfolio to Public |
|
★ 5.0/5 | $0 per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs | $0 | No promotion available |
|
★ 4.4/5 | $0 per trade (on eligible US securities) | $0 | No promotion available |
|
★ 4.2/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | Up to $200 in Transfer Fee Rebates |
In-Depth on Our Top Stock Apps
Charles Schwab
FinaceProsper rating: 4.8 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For stocks, each contract is worth $0.65; for options, it is worth $0.0.
- Stock apps: Thinkorswim and Charles Schwab Mobile are two stock apps.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: Although Schwab already had some of the best educational resources of any broker we reviewed, its acquisition of TD Ameritrade elevates it above the other stock apps on this list in terms of providing opportunities for practice trading and learning about investing. Top-of-the-paper trading tools, newsletters, webcasts, articles, and more are available on the merged Schwab-thinkorswim platforms.
Fidelity
FinaceProsper rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For stocks, each contract is valued at $0, and for options, it is worth $0.65.
- Stock apps: Fidelity Investments and Fidelity Youth App are stock apps.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: One of the greatest brokerage services in the industry, Fidelity consistently receives the highest ratings in many categories. Despite being user-friendly for beginners, it provides a range of sophisticated trading tools and products. Apart from the main Fidelity Investments mobile app, additionally, it provides the Fidelity Youth app, which aims to introduce teens to investing, and Fidelity Bloom, which assists users in developing responsible money management practices. Additionally, creating a separate brokerage services account for non-retirement-making investments can be done entirely in-app for anyone with a Fidelity workplace 401(k).
Webull
FinaceProsper rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For stocks and each option contract, there is a $0 fee.
- Stock apps: Webull: Trading & Investing. (Webull Pay is a cryptocurrency app.)
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: Users have given Webull’s trading app excellent reviews, and it has sophisticated features like voice control and paper trading that you might not find in a mobile app. Also, among these stock apps, Webull gives investors several of the smallest margin rates. The interest rates on borrowed investment funds charged by many brokers are at least 10% annually, but Webull’s margin loans have rates as low as 5.74% to 9.74%, depending upon the amount.
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
FinaceProsper rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For stocks, each contract is valued at $0, and for options, it is worth $0.65.
- Stock apps: Chase Mobile allows for integration with bank accounts from Chase.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: The J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Stock App might be a no-brainer for current Chase Bank clients. Chase is the biggest bank in the United States, and its retail investing division is integrated with Chase credit cards and bank accounts seamlessly. The simplified UI, which offers J.P. Morgan research, analyst investment suggestions, and stock market education resources, will nevertheless be appealing to non-Chase Bank customers.
Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite
FinaceProsper rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: Options contracts cost $0.65, while stock contracts cost $0.0. (Volume savings are offered with IBKR Pro.)
- Stock apps: IBKR Global Trader; IBKR Mobile.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: With features like an ESG dashboard, customizable dashboards, over 200 research and news services, and more language support rather than any other broker we’ve reviewed, Interactive Brokers boasts one of the most sophisticated trading apps and platforms in the market. For more experienced traders, it works well.
E*TRADE
FinaceProsper rating: 4.3 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For options, each contract is worth $0.65; for stocks, it is $0.0. (Volume savings offered.)
- Stock apps: Power ETRADE; ETRADE.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: Compared to other stock apps on this list, ETrade offers the longest extended trading hours. ETrade provides 24-hour ETF and futures trading from Monday through Saturday, in addition to a before the market opened session that begins at 7:00 a.m. ET and a post-market period that concludes at 8:00 p.m. ET on weekdays. Users give ETRADE’s app, Power ETRADE, for sophisticated active trading high marks.
SoFi Active Investing
FinaceProsper rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For stocks and each option contract, there is a $0 fee.
- Stock apps: Investing and Banking with SoFi, which connects to other SoFi accounts.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: One of the first future stock apps, SoFi Active Investing, allowed users to invest in initial public offerings (IPOs), which were previously only available to institutional investors. Furthermore, SoFi’s stock app is incredibly easy to use, even though investing in initial public offerings (IPOs) is undoubtedly a more sophisticated trading strategy. The app seamlessly integrates with other SoFi products, including banking, credit cards, and loans, for current users.
FinaceProsper rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: $0 per options contract; $0 for stocks.
- Stock app: Robinhood
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: The name Robinhood is practically synonymous with mobile stock trading; the company, along with free trades, virtually invented the idea. Still, because of its limited offering and persistent customer service problems, it wasn’t on our list for a considerable amount of time. Since then, it has made improvements in that area and begun to provide additional features, such as a larger selection of investments and an IRA with corresponding dollars. Novice traders find Robinhood’s user-friendly interface easy to use, while seasoned traders value the low margin rates and discounted pricing.
Ally Invest
FinaceProsper rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: $0.50 for each options contract; $0 for stocks.
- Stock app: Ally: Auto, Invest, and Bank, which connect to other Ally accounts.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: Ally Invest provides its users with round-the-clock phone, email, and chat assistance, making it one of the best brokerage companies when it comes to customer support. Ally has the best customer service availability among brokers who operate exclusively online. Customers of Ally will find it easy to choose Ally Invest because of this, as well as its straightforward, user-friendly mobile app and connection with Ally Bank.
Firstrade
FinaceProsper rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: For stocks and each option contract, there is a $0 fee.
- Stock app: Firstrade: Trade & Invest.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: Firstrade is a brokerage that caters primarily to seasoned investors and is unique in that it does not impose any commissions on prescription trades or charge a per-contract fee on options trades. With clients from almost 30 countries, the broker is also among the select few that provide access to foreign investors.
Public
FinaceProsper rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
KEY FACTS
- Trading commissions: Each contract for an option is worth $0. Stocks are worth zero. Public offers a rebate of $0.06 to $0.18 per contract, a share of their revenue.
- Stock app: Public.
- Available for: iOS, and Android.
Why We Picked It: Public is the only stock app that we have examined that compensates users for trading selections. There is a $0.06 rebate available to the general public for each traded options contract. You can get refunded up to $0.18 for each friend you recommend to the general public.
Conclusion
To recap our selections…
FinanceProsper’s Best Stock Trading Apps: November 2024 Top Picks
- Robinhood
- Charles Schwab
- J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
- Webull
- Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite
- E*TRADE
- SoFi Active Investing
- Public
- Fidelity
- Ally Invest
- Firstrade
FAQs
Which stock app is the best for new traders?
The majority of the brokers that appear on our list of the top brokers for novices are also present here: SoFi Active Investing, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab, among others. For novices, mobile trading apps are generally a better option because they are generally simpler to use than desktop or internet platforms.
Which app is the best for trading stocks for free?
The aforementioned apps are all free to use for trading American stocks and exchange-traded funds. The ideal option for you will mostly depend on your trading requirements; for instance, active traders frequently base their decisions primarily on the range of investment options and the kind of mobile functionality that is feasible. Choose an online broker’s app if you’d like a more sophisticated mobile trading platform or greater education.
What’s the minimum to open an account on a stock trading app?
Most of the providers on our list don’t have minimum deposit requirements to open an account. Beyond that, though, you do require sufficient funds to buy a stock. Since stocks are traded on a share basis, be sure to research the prices of any stocks you are interested in. As was already mentioned, a lot of apps allow fractional share trading, which lets you invest a dollar amount rather than the entire share price. You will receive a small portion of a share in return, not the entire share. An app that provides fractional shares might be your top choice if you want to start with less money.
